It has been known in the prior art that a robot can receive information from a wireless sensor and execute a corresponding command in accordance with the information to interact with a user. However, such kind of robot lacks security-related functions and cannot deal simultaneously with a plurality of sensors in the environment. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,895,305 (the related prior art 1) has disclosed such a technology.
There is also a security robot capable of communicating with sensors in the environment and detecting, in combination with its own sensors, abnormal conditions. However, in such a technology, the sensors in the environment must communicate with each other through a wired network and thus cannot be used immediately upon installed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,030,757 (the related prior art 2) has disclosed such a technology.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 7,174,238 (the related prior art 3) and its family patents have disclosed the technology of a robot integrating network servers and RF wireless telecommunication modules. The user can control the robot to move to the vicinity of a sensor in the environment for reading the information thereof. However, the robot is remotely controlled and itself does not have the ability to autonomously move; also, there is no network communication function between the sensors.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,154,392 (the related prior art 4) discloses a detection network constituted by deploying a plurality of wireless signal transmitting/receiving modules on a mobile platform to detect and track intruders. The mobile platform can be located by the wireless signal network. However, this system is not integrated with the image monitoring function and thus whether the detected result is correct cannot be confirmed immediately; also, the control of the mobile platform is not described in detail.
In addition, according to “The Development of Intelligent Home Security Robot,” published by Ren C. Luo, Tung Y. Lin and Kuo L. Su (the related prior art 5), the security robot can receive the detected result from the sensors in the environment and detect, in combination with its own sensors, abnormal conditions. However, there is no network communication function between the sensors in the environment.
Further, according to “Home Security Robot based on Sensor Network,” published by Y. G. Kim, H. K. Kim, S. H. Yoon, S. G. Lee and K. D. Lee (the related prior art 6), a robot is enabled also by the establishment of a sensor network to move to the place where there may be an abnormal condition and transmit images back to the user. However, the robot is positioned by using infrared ray and sonar and thus the sensors must be installed on the ceiling, which constitutes a limitation on the number and position of sensors to be installed.